Railway car wheel markers



Jan. 31, 1956 M. w. GlEsKn-:NG 2,732,825

RAILWAY CAR WHEEL MARKERS Filed Feb. 17, 1955 United States Patent O RAILWAY CAR WHEEL MARKERS Marion W. Gieskieng, Denver, Colo.

Application February 17, 1955, Serial No. 488,966

Claims. (Cl.` 118-326) This invention relates to a wheel marking device for railway trains, and is more particularly designed to mark Wheels having breaks or faults which have been indicated by wheel checking devices of the type illustrated in applicants Patents Nos. 2,408,553; 2,429,266; 2,442,491; 2,574,474; 2,590,603; and 2,605,392.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a wheel marking device which, upon receipt of an electricalsignal, will project a stream of marking Huid across a railway rail in the path of passing car wheels to call attention to wheels requiring inspection for possible faults. Wheelchecking devices of the type illustrated in applicants said patents give an electrical signal indication when a damaged railway car wheel passes the checking device. This signal will indicate to the car inspectors that there is a damaged wheel or wheels in that particular train. 1f it is a long train a great amount of time may be employed in an endeavor to locate the damaged wheel or wheels which have produced the signal.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a marking device which will operate in consequence of the signal from the wheel checking device to visibly mark either the damaged wheel or wheels in its immediate vicinity so that it will not be necessary to check all of the wheels on an entire train in order to locate the damaged wheel.

Another object of the invention is to combine with a motor-driven paint pump adapted to project a stream of marking fluid across a railway rail, means for receiving the projected fluid and returning it for reuse so as to materially reduce fluid losses.

The marking fluid should be of a type which will not evaporate or oxidize readily, and which will retain a coloring pigment in suspension over long periods of idleness. The mark produced should be readily visible, but should preferably be of a type which will not remain permanently on the wheel. Such a fluid will, for convenience of description, be herein referred to simply as paint, and indicated at 40 on the drawing.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and elcienoy. 'Ibese will bceome more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan View of a portion of one rail of a conventional railway track, illustrating the inventionin place thereon;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal section of the device, taken on the line 2--2, Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a similar section on a reduced scale, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

In the drawing, conventional railway ties are indicated at and a conventional railway rail at 11, and the position of a conventional car wheel is indicated in secj 2,732,825 Patented Jan. 31 1956 tion and in broken line in Fig. 3 at 12. This device is designed to be placed between two of the ties 10 so as to project a stream of paint across and over the rail 11, in response to an electrical impulse, to produce a visible mark upon a wheel passing the device at the time the impulse is received.

The device employs an electric motor 13 mounted on a saddle plate 14 which is suspended between two of the ties 1i) and secured thereto by means of suitable lag screws 15 or other attachment devices. The motor 13 supports a pump 16 in any desired manner. As illustrated, the pump is supported on the shaft of the motor and is prevented from rotating with the shaft by means of a suitable bracket member 17. The pump draws paint through an intake tube or hose l and discharges the paint through an inverted L-shaped nozzle 19 directed across and above the rail 11.

Paint is supplied to the pump 16 from a paint reservoir 2i) positioned on the opposite side of the rail 11. The paint supply hose 13 is connected between an intake 21 on the pump and discharge nipple 22 in the bottom of the reservoir Ztl. The paint reservoir is supported from two cross angle members 23 which extend between two of the ties 1?, and preferably comprises a rectangular tank having inset end plates Z4 beyond which the top, bottom, and sides of the tank project. A pair of vertical, spaced-apart jack screws 25 are mounted between the projecting portions of the top and bottom of the tank exteriorly of each inset end. Each jack screw is threaded through a nut member' 26, there being two of the nut members 26 welded or otherwise secured to each cross angle member 23. The jack screws are reduced in diameter at their extremities to provide rotatable terminal bearing portions 27 where they pass through the projecting top and bottom of the tank. Each jack screw is provided with a jam nut 28 which can be clamped against the nut member 26 on that screw to prevent rotation of the latter when desired.

It can be seen that by releasing the jam nuts 28 and rotating the four jack screws 25 between the thumb and fingers, the elevation and tilt of the reservoir may be controlled so that it may be brought to a level position and to a proper height to maintain the pump primed, regardless of the position of the ties 10. After the desired adjustment has been attained, the reservoir may be permanently locked in the adjusted position by tightening the jam nuts 23 against the nut members 26.

A paint return sleeve 29 extends downwardly within the reservoir Ztl. ri`he sleeve 29 is provided with a projecting iiange 30 which rests on and is welded or otherwise secured to the top of the reservoir. A vertically adjustable paint return tube 31 extends downwardly within the paint return sleeve 29 and is supported therein by means of a compression member 32 which can be contracted into gripping relation with the tube 31 by means of a compression nut 33 threaded on the upper extremity of the sleeve 29.

The return tube 31 supports a flaring, inclined, openended funnel memberll, the open end of which is directed toward the discharge of the nozzle 19. The funnel 34 is provided with an inwardly turned lip 35 across the bottom of its open extremity to prevent paint from flowing outwardly therefrom, and it is further provided with an inclined screen 36 which acts to prevent the entrance of foreign materials into the funnel.

By loosening the compression nut 33, the tube 31 can be freed so that it may be moved upwardly and downwardly and rotated sidewardly so as to properly position the funnel 34 opposite the discharge of the nozzle 19, regardless of .the position of the pump 16 and the reservoir 20. When the proper position has been attained,

the compression nut 33 can be tightened to iixedly lock the funnel in the adjusted position.

The motor is fed with current through a suitable electrical conductor 37 from anyl desired wheel checking device, such as one of the checkers illustrated and described in applicants said patents. The current received from the wheel checking device will instantly energize the motor 13, causing it to force a stream of paint across the rail 1l to mark any wheel or wheels passing at that time. When the stream is not intercepted by wheels, it will be received by the funnel 34 and returned by gravity to the reservoir 20.

Since it is possible that the paint may remain dormant in the reservoir for long periods of time, it is desired to reduce the area exposed to the atmosphere to a minimum so as to reduce evaporation and oxidation. This is accomplished by the sleeve 29 which extends substantially below the fluid level and will expose only a small surface area of the paint to the atmosphere, regardless of the vertical adjustment of the tube 31. Paint being received by the funnel will, of course, have considerable entrappcd air. A large portion of this air is eliminated as the paint passes through the inclined screen 36. The remainder will Yrise in the reservoir and must be relieved to the atmosphere. This is accomplished through a breather tube 3S secured upon a breather nipple 39 communicating through the top of the reservoir 20.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Railway wheel marking means adapted to be mounted between railway ties supporting a railway rail and arranged to project a stream of marking fluid across said rail in consequence of an electrical impulse, comprising: an electric motor adapted to receive said impulse; a pump operatively connected to said motor; a nozzle extending from said pump and positioned to direct a stream of marking uid across and over said rail from one side of the latter; cross members extending between the ties at the opposite side of said rail; a reservoir suspended between said cross members between said ties; a conduit conducting lluid from said reservoir to said pump; and a funnel member mounted on said reservoir and extending toward said nozzle so as to receive tluid projected from the latter.

2. Railway wheel marking means as described in claim l having jack screws rotatably mounted on said reservoir; and nut members threaded onto said jack screws and secured to said cross members so that rotation of said jack screws will vary the height and tilt of said reservoir.

3. Railway wheel marking means adapted to be mounted between railway ties supporting a railway rail and arranged to project a stream of marking uid across said rail in consequence of an electrical impulse, comprising: an electric motor adapted to receive said impulse; a pump operatively connected to said motor; a nozzle extending from said pump and positioned to direct a stream of marking uid across and over said rail from one side of the latter; cross members extending between the ties at the opposite side of said rail; a reservoir suspended between said cross members between said ties; a conduit conducting iluid from said reservoir to said pump; a funnel member mounted on said reservoir and extending toward said nozzle so as to receive Huid projected from the latter; a uid return tube extending from said funnel member downwardly into said reservoir; and means for securing said return tube at any desired height or angle on said reservoir.

4. Railway wheel marking means adapted to be mounted between railway ties supporting a railway rail and arranged to project a stream of marking lluid across said rail in consequence of an electrical impulse, comprising: an electric motor adapted to receive said impulse; a pump operatively connected to said motor; a nozzle extending from said pump and positioned to direct a stream of marking uid across and over said rail from one side of the latter; cross members extending between the ties at the opposite side of said rail; a reservoir suspended between said cross members between said ties; a conduit conducting uid from said reservoir to said pump; a funnel member mounted on lsaid reservoir and extending toward said nozzle so as to receive lluid projected from the latter; a uid return tube extending from said funnel member downwardly into said reservoir; means for securing said return tube at any desired height or angle on said reservoir; a sleeve member mounted in the top of said reservoir and extending downwardly below the solution level therein, said sleeve surrounding said return tube; and a clamping member mounted on said sleeve and adapted to clamp said tube therewithin.

5. Railway wheel marking means adapted to be mounted between railway ties supporting a railway rail and arranged to project a stream of marking uid across said rail in consequence of an electrical impulse, comprising: an electric motor adapted to receive said impulse; a pump operatively connected to said motor; a nozzle extending from said pump and positioned to direct a stream of marking lluid across and over said rail from one side of the latter; cross members extending between the ties at theropposite side of said rail; a reservoir suspended between said cross members between said ties; a conduit conducting uid from said reservoir to said pump; a funnel member mounted on said reservoir and extending toward said nozzle so as to receive lluid projected from the latter; a saddle plate extending between said ties; and means securing said motor on said saddle plate.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 577,496 wauwork et a1. Feb. 23, 1897 1,281,672 Schorn Oct. 15, 1918 2,189,783 Eberhart Feb. 13, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,915 Great Britain July 4, 1907 417,547 Great Britain Oct. 8, 1934 

